Page 67 of Protected By Artemis

“I’m supposed to be throwing this shower for you, and you have nothing to be worried about, my lady. You should go sit down.”

“But—”

“I promise, everything will be perfect.”

She smiled and rubbed her belly. “Now you’re talking my language.”

Everything would be perfect today. It would have to be because when it came to those she loved and cherished most in the world, anything less than perfect was not good enough.

And soon, those she considered part of that circle would increase, not just by one, but two.

She and Cade were having twins.

She teased Cade mercilessly about how he had gone pale and nearly fainted the day the sonogram showed two babies inside her. “The hair at his temples turned white too,” she had said whenever she told the story.

“No, it didn’t,” he had denied each time.

Still, she couldn’t be happier. She had a mate she loved, a pack she cherished, and she would fulfill her dream of becoming a mother.

Only mortal children from your womb.

The Mother had been so wise—all The Fates were—in choosing their words carefully when they told her the prophecy. Indeed, as she had received Cade’s mating bite and given up her immortality, her children would all be shifters and mortals, like their father.

Surprisingly, giving up eternal life wasn’t as hard as trying to gain it. No one had done it before, but it had been as easy as simply declaring that she no longer wished to be a goddess in front of the other members of the council. Of course, she had so much to plan for, including finding a replacement as they already had one missing seat on the council, and Mount Olympus couldn’t afford two. But she was pretty confident Geri would do a great job at being the new goddess of the hunt. She seemed the logical choice after all, and Artemis knew she could breathe some new life into the council.

“What’s this I hear about you climbing up a ladder?”

The familiar baritone of her mate sent a thrill through her, as did the flooding of warmth and love through their bond. After they had exchanged claiming marks by biting each other, the mating bond formed, forever connecting them through their souls. With the bond in place, they could feel each other’s presence and emotions. It was the most amazing thing she’d ever felt in her entire life, as if every doubt she ever had about becoming mortal had been erased the moment she trulyfeltthe intensity of Cade’s love and emotions for her.

Cade’s emotions today, however, were tinged with worry and fear.

“Are you having people spy on me?” she said in a mock hurt voice as she pivoted to turn to him.

“I wouldn’t have to if you just followed the doctor’s orders.” Cade’s stern expression softened as she reached for his hand and placed it on her belly. “Everything good?”

“We’re fine,” she reassured him. “I’m mortal, not an invalid.” How she missed those first few months after their mating before she got pregnant, and they spent hours hunting on their land together. Now, he wouldn’t even let her stand up to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he gathered her close into his arms, her belly cradled between them. “I know, sweetheart. I just want you to be safe.”

“I am. I will be,” she soothed. “And there’s no more threats to us, at least not from Arcane.”

In the year that passed since they exposed Arcane, many things had happened. The CEO and several other executives had been arrested and were awaiting trial for the various crimes they had committed. And with their stock tanking, they had no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

“Now come on, the guests will be here soon, and we’re not even done yet!”

Cade followed Artemis around as she supervised the setup for the baby shower, which was being held in the newly-reconstructed barn. She had the volunteers reconfigure the set-up, switching the gifts table with the candy buffet, and then went over the list of songs with the DJ before checking to make sure the frosted cupcakes had been stacked in alternating blue and pink rows. She did, however, steer clear of Chef Hank as he set up the buffet table, because she was not stupid. It really was difficult to find a competent chef to come all the way out to the middle of nowhere.

“Are you all done?” Cade asked.

“Yes—no, wait!” She glanced back at where the pink and blue flower garlands hung from the rafters. To any normal, reasonable person, they seemed fine, but not to her discerning eye. With a wave of her hand, she adjusted them so they hung perfectly even. “There. Now I’m done.”

“I still can’t believe they let you keep your powers,” he muttered.

“Not all of them,” she said, “but enough. Look!’ She pointed toward the door. “They’re here.”

The pack turned out in droves, and it wasn’t just because of Chef Hank’s famous barbecued ribs and pulled pork. The impending birth of an Alpha’s child was always an enormous deal and perhaps even more so with two, and so everyone came to pay tribute and give their best wishes.

And, of course, there were the mother-to-be’s guests, who all came down from Mount Olympus.

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